Changes

==Career==

==Career==

From 1973 to 1980, Berchelmann was an associate in the San Antonio law firm of Thurmond & Clark and an assistant district attorney for Bexar County. In 1981, [[Governor]] [[Bill Clements]] appointed Berchelmann judge of the newly established 290th District Court in Bexar County.<ref name=bio>{{cite web|url=http://www.namanhowell.com/attorneys/berchelmann-hon-david-ret/|title=Berchelmann, Hon. David (Ret.)|publisher=namanhowell.com|accessdate=March 3, 2015}}</ref> That same year, Clements named another Republican, [[Tom Rickhoff]], judge of the newly created 289th District Court and the Republican [[David Peeples]] to the 285th District Court. In 1982, Berchelmann, Rickhoff, Peeples, and a fourth Republican, [[Roy Barrera, Jr.]], were the first Republicans ever elected to district court judgeships in Bexar County; their victories came despite Clements' defeat for reelection in the gubernatorial election at the hands of the [[Democratic Party|Democrat]] [[Mark White]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bexargop.org/history.php|title=History of the Republican Party of Bexar County|publisher=bexargop.org|accessdate=March 4, 2015; material no longer accessible on-line}}</ref> Rickhoff, later judge of the [[Texas Courts of Appeals|Texas Court of Appeals for the 4th District]], has been since 2001 a judge of the [[probate court]] in Bexar County and like Berchelmann an alumnus of both St. Mary's and its law school.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tomrickhoff.blogspot.com/2009/08/judge-rickhoffs-bio.html|title=Judge Rickhoff's Bio|publisher=tomrickhoff.blogspot.com|date=August 5, 2009|date=March 2, 2015}}</ref>

From 1973 to 1980, Berchelmann was an associate in the San Antonio law firm of Thurmond & Clark and an assistant district attorney for Bexar County. In 1981, [[Governor]] [[Bill Clements]] appointed Berchelmann judge of the newly established 290th District Court in Bexar County.<ref name=bio>{{cite web|url=http://www.namanhowell.com/attorneys/berchelmann-hon-david-ret/|title=Berchelmann, Hon. David (Ret.)|publisher=namanhowell.com|accessdate=March 3, 2015}}</ref> That same year, Clements named another Republican, [[Tom Rickhoff]], judge of the newly created 289th District Court and the Republican [[David Peeples]] to the 285th District Court. In 1982, Berchelmann, Rickhoff, Peeples, and a fourth Republican, [[Roy Barrera, Jr.]], were the first Republicans ever elected to district court judgeships in Bexar County; their victories came despite Clements' defeat for reelection in the gubernatorial election at the hands of the [[Democratic Party|Democrat]] [[Mark White]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bexargop.org/history.php|title=History of the Republican Party of Bexar County|publisher=bexargop.org|accessdate=March 4, 2015; material no longer accessible on-line}}</ref> Rickhoff, later judge of the Texas Court of Appeals for the 4th Distric], has been since 2001 a judge of the [[probate court]] in Bexar County and like Berchelmann an alumnus of both St. Mary's and its law school.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tomrickhoff.blogspot.com/2009/08/judge-rickhoffs-bio.html|title=Judge Rickhoff's Bio|publisher=tomrickhoff.blogspot.com|date=August 5, 2009|date=March 2, 2015}}</ref>

In his first month on the 290th Court, Berchelmann held the entire San Antonio City Council in [[contempt of court]] after the governing body allegedly annexed two subdivisions in conflict with a previous court order. He fined each member $500 until the vote was retracted. According to Berchelmann, the council members "did something they were told they couldn't do. ... both sides got together and resolved it after I caught all the grief."<ref name=saen/>

In his first month on the 290th Court, Berchelmann held the entire San Antonio City Council in [[contempt of court]] after the governing body allegedly annexed two subdivisions in conflict with a previous court order. He fined each member $500 until the vote was retracted. According to Berchelmann, the council members "did something they were told they couldn't do. ... both sides got together and resolved it after I caught all the grief."<ref name=saen/>